Falling to Pieces
by pantedgieQueen13
Summary: A strange machine threatens the land. Because of extensive injuries, Sonic is forced to take temporary leave from the Freedom Fighters. No one seems to see the injuries beyond the physical—can Cream heal him before it's too late? T for injuries.
1. Chapter 1

_**Falling to Pieces**_

_A strange machine threatens the land. Not even Sonic can defeat it! Because of extensive injuries, Sonic is forced to take temporary leave from the Freedom Fighters, much to his chagrin. No one seems to see the injuries beyond the physical—can Cream heal Sonic…before it's too late?_

* * *

The blood was warm against his sides and at his chest. Warm and free and red, even in the dim light. It spilled and dripped and flowed down his fur with the rain, plopping onto the grass as he walked, barely even able to anymore, to a place where he could rest and give his body precious time to heal. Even injured, he had a sense of where he was going.

"Finally," he rasped, as he looked upon the place that would save him. Soaked in blood and rainwater, he stumbled up to where he could be sheltered by the eaves of the house, and placed one bloody hand on the wall to steady himself before he dragged his heavy body up the steps. One of his gloves was torn off, and this was the bloody hand. The other was cut, so that his middle finger was the only one of these covered by glove. The torn fragments hung off the palm of the glove like willow branches. He rang the doorbell with his middle finger, and fell upon his knees on the stone stoop. "Ow." The wind howled, and he lifted his hand to ring the doorbell again. But, there was no need.

An older rabbit, not more than twenty five or thirty, had opened the door from within. Dressed in an elegant red dressing gown and pink bathrobe flung around her shoulders, she looked the tattered form over. To her surprise—and to his—she recognized the kind eyes beneath the wild, bloody fur. "_Sonic_?!" Her horror betrayed her—she was upset this had happened.

Sonic the Hedgehog lifted himself upon one elbow. The other was occupied holding his side. "Vanilla…" he closed one eye, creeping forward like a snake upon the stair. "Puh-puhpuhleeze…please help, please help me." He coughed, looking away. One ear was flattened against the side of his head and the other was wilting slowly like a starving flower. His one visible eye held much pain and suffering, and the other looked bruised or hurt in some other manner.

"O-of course, Sonic. I wouldn't just leave you!" Vanilla bent to grab hold of his arm and walk him against her into the house. Blood from his fur leaked and was absorbed into her robe and fur. She swung her free hand at the light switch at the entrance to the kitchen, flooding the cozy area with warm, yellow light.

Vanilla pulled out a chair skillfully with her foot and sat Sonic in it while she herself began to inspect him for damage. She didn't try to remove the arm that seemed plastered against his side. She could see it revealed a pulsating wound that was still bleeding well enough. The tan fur on that arm was nearly crimson, and Sonic was panting and couldn't quite keep his head upright. Vanilla reached beneath the sink and grabbed a rag. "Here, use this to stanch the blood flow." She directed as she threw it at him. Sonic nodded, and removed his arm. The wound was indeed deep and pulsing like a heart, but Vanilla didn't get a very good look at it, for Sonic knew what to do. "I want you to get your bearings, stop that blood. Then, I want you to tell me what happened to you."

Sonic coughed, and looked at her with pleading in his eyes. Every twenty to thirty seconds, he shivered with cold. Vanilla brought him several warm towels and placed them about his shoulders, but this didn't stop his shivering. Vanilla was about to go get blankets, but Sonic choked out: "You can't do anything about it. I'm soaked all the way to the bone. Even my innards are dripping wet."

"Well, that's good to know. Sonic, what happened to you?" Vanilla was being almost sassy in her worry—it didn't sound quite like the usually soft-spoken mother rabbit.

By now, Cream in her room down the hall, was wide-awake. She'd been drifting in and out of half-consciousness since sharp cracks of lightning had startled her from sleep, but hearing the commotion and seeing the light under the door made her curious. She got out of bed and slipped her feet into her slippers, walking towards her door to listen in.

In the kitchen, Sonic raised his head, chin coming up off his chest for the first time since he'd been here. His wilting ear pricked, the other one almost broken, lifeless. Vanilla picked up his sudden alertness, the curiosity and knowing in his single open green eye. The other one had a deep-set scar across it, and Sonic couldn't keep it open for long. He was one-eyed for now.

"What is it?" Vanilla asked softly, but Sonic only coughed in response.

His voice had been stolen from him, taken by his humiliating defeat at the hands of the massive robot he'd been fighting. He felt a deep hatred for his physical body, for his mind had the might to defeat it, but as he had gotten physically wounded and worn down, his body had become slower and weaker. He couldn't keep up with his forever speedy mind, and for this he was bitterly ashamed. He would not speak, for what could he say? _I lost. I'm a failure to you all. I __**lost**__. I lost a battle. I let you all down. I lost._

Cream had strayed into the hallway, and Sonic leaned his head sideways against the back of the chair, resting on his arm. He closed his eyes, feeling the blood and rain soak into his fur and the tire that came with them seeping into his muscles. The backs of his legs, his thighs, his feet, were all hurting as if a thousand needles were stuck there, and embedded deep. He especially felt his in his feet, because it hurt to walk. His feet were cold from the damp, and he sneezed once, his spit bloody. Vanilla gave him a tissue, but she knew she was powerless to heal him.

Sonic was strong. He was physically able to heal on his own. Indeed, small cuts were already beginning to sew themselves up, and his pulsating wound had stopped bleeding.

"Sonic?"

His name prompted the blue hedgehog to obligatorily lift his head to look upon her. His eyes were bright, but very, very tired. His open eye was struggling to stay open, his eyelid heavy.

"Would you like a hot bath? Maybe it would help warm you up?" Vanilla smiled, to assure the invitation.

Sonic met her gaze with both eyes, forcing his other eye open. Wearily, he nodded his head.

Vanilla went down the hall to get the bath ready. She was so distracted that she nearly bumped headlong into her daughter, Cream, peeping in the hallway. Sonic, though his eyes were closed from tire, was wide-awake listening, so happy he had forced his body to come here.

"What are you doing up?" Vanilla hissed in some alarm but no anger. "Why are you peeping?"

Cream rubbed her eyes. "I heard voices, momma."

"Yes. Sonic's here."

"Is he? Can I see him?" Cream's whispers became more and more high-pitched as her excitement heightened. Sonic in the kitchen, still as a stone statue, gave a muted chuckle, a smile cracking his frowning lips and brightening the dark events of the afternoon into evening.

"No." Vanilla answered. Cream whimpered, and Sonic had to clamp his hand over his mouth to mute his laughter, which shook his aching body and made pinpricks of pain shoot blood out of cuts and scrapes and made the thick bruises on his back, sides, and belly tender.

"Awww, why?"

"Sonic is…very hurt." Vanilla picked her words carefully as she went into the bathroom. "You can help me fix a bath, but I don't want you bothering him. He seems very exhausted."

"Exhausted, momma? Sonic?"

"Yes. He's barely moved a muscle since I brought him in."

Sonic stopped laughing, and tears came to his eyes. It stabbed his ego to know that his body ached every time he moved. Vanilla restating it didn't help at all. In fact, it made matters much worse.

The bath water was running now. Vanilla had her fingers under it, bent over the tub, testing for heat. Cream stood beside her mother, selecting soaps and thinking about Sonic. She was also thinking about her secret plan to see Sonic, despite his condition.

_The time goes on and on…_

Vanilla came into the kitchen. Sonic raised his head. He could smell that Cream was still in the hallways. He heard Vanilla whisper to her to go to bed when she thought Sonic wasn't paying attention. But, Sonic knew. He knew that Cream planned to see him, no matter what her mother said. And that made him happy. It was one of the reasons he chose to come here, rather than go to another location for aid.

"Your bath's ready, Sonic." Vanilla told him soothingly, her voice almost pitying though she tried hard to hide it as she lifted him carefully up and steadied him. Sonic gave a yelp when she touched a tender bruise, but otherwise made no noise. Vanilla apologized profusely, but Sonic wearily brushed it off without using words.

He heard the patter of faint footsteps in retreat as they neared the bathroom and he knew them to be Cream's. Sonic smiled as Vanilla removed his shoes, socks, and what was left of his gloves (the right glove was nothing more than the cuff, the left a rag) and helped him into the tub. Usually an alarm to him, the hot water soothed the tense feeling in his bones, and the soap (though it stung a bit at first) disinfected his numerous injuries. He reclined in the bath, all his weight being supported by the water. He had no sense of time, but he knew when Vanilla left and when he was alone.

And, what must've been hours later, close to dawn, when he was in company once again.

The door opened. The water was beginning to get cold around Sonic, and he was awake now. The water around him was a faint pinkish color and, had it been shark-infested, he would've been dinner long ago. He was almost alarmed at the door, both ears pricking up as he lifted his body up out of the coolness of the wet water.

Cream slipped in through a small crack in the door. She took a washcloth from the closet and lathered it up with soap and warm water. Taking a pot from nearby, she poured more boiling water into the preexisting water, draining some of the old water first to make way for the new water.

"Hi, Sonic," Cream whispered, her long nightgown making her look very grown-up though she still held the magic of childhood in her yet. Sonic smiled at her presence and relaxed in the warm bath. "Can't you talk?" Cream stood on a low stool and climbed over the side of the tub. Her white nightgown flowed out around her like a flower. Sonic, somewhat alarmed, backed up, his cheeks flaming red with embarrassment. But Cream's eyes were calm, if not a bit worried herself.

"It's okay," she said to him, showing him the washcloth. "Momma didn't say, but I guessed about your biggest wound. Let me see."

Sonic moved awkwardly in the water to expose his stomach to her. Cream gently began to wash it down, her childish hands making Sonic melt as she touched him. He was not in love with her. He had none of those feelings towards her. But her touch was indeed magic, like the love of a small child often is.

Cream loved Sonic dearly, but like a brother or father. Whatever this love was, it was enough to drive her to do this great service for him.

As she washed him down, Sonic became more relaxed. They met gazes once, Cream very close to his face. She smiled and kissed his cheek. Sonic kissed the tip of her nose in return. They smiled at each other, and then Cream went back to work.

When she was done, the young girl climbed back out of the tub. "Your skin is pruney." She told Sonic. "Momma long went to sleep. Are you going to come out?"

Sonic nodded and wordlessly stood, closing his eyes against the strain. Dripping wet, she stepped out of the tub, all wounds bloodless now. Cream handed him a towel to dry himself with and then drained the tub. "Are you coming to my room?" Cream asked. Sonic, somewhat reenergized from his bath, nodded slowly, his yes very sincere though tired. Cream giggled excitedly and took his hand. Together, they walked towards her room.

_Such a long, long, long time has passed. The me that I care about has turned to ash…_

Sonic felt so exposed. He didn't even have his socks. He felt so naked and wrong. He looked away as Cream changed, out towards the fading rain clinging to her windowpane and the sweet full moon that serenaded him tonight.

_The numerous heads of the machine glinted gray in the blue light of the full moon, bright as day. The rain made them slippery to land on. He was tired and, no matter how many heads he cut away, there would always be more to take its place. Even if he'd had the strength to cut them all off at once…all he could think about was the haunting laughter of his evil nemesis…_

_And the horrid name of the beast: __**HYDRA**_.

"You haven't lost your voice forever, right, Sonic?"

Sonic jumped to find Cream sitting up in bed, surrounded by pillows and her blankets. Sonic nodded, one bare foot up upon the window seat.

"You can sleep there, if you like. If you can." Cream corrected herself. Sonic shook his head.

"I'm not sleeping." The first words he had spoken to her, the first words in what seemed like ages this evening. His voice sounded so broken and injured to him. But no hot bath could cure the internal pains wracking his body.

Cream was not surprised at his voice, though Vanilla would've been shocked he'd talked after so long. "Why not?"

"It's…" Sonic swallowed, feeling the lump travel downward into his gullet. "It's hard to explain, Cream." He admitted. "I guess part of it…are these injuries." He sighed. "I've…I've never been this bad, Cream."

"I know, Sonic." Cream's chocolate eyes perused his outline against the pale white light of the moon. Sonic knew this, even though he wasn't facing her. He stared out into the rain.

"Get some rest."

"Will…You will stay, won't you?" Cream's voice held a certain urgency, as if she feared this was all a dream and that he would disappear before her eyes.

Sonic closed his eyes, bowed his head, and chuckled dryly in his throat. "No, no. I won't move a step."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Sonic's voice was warm like a security blanket. The level of warmth should've been physical. One would've expected Sonic's breath to materialize on the window.

Cream smiled warmly and dove under the covers, giggling in the darkness. The room grew quiet as her breathing slowed. Sonic turned his green eyes to peruse her form asleep, and then he turned and pressed his forehead against the window. It was cold against his head. Sonic closed his eyes, sobs consuming him.

And there, in the child's warm comforting room, Sonic broke down and cried.

_**HYDRA**_.


	2. Everything is You

**Falling to Pieces Two: Everything is You**

_And you, you…_

Sonic woke up. Uh oh. He'd fallen asleep. Sonic deduced that, at some point during the night, he had cried himself to sleep. So, he knew not whether what he had told Cream about not sleeping was a lie or a mistake. Either way, he was awake now, and Cream was still asleep. She would never know he had slept at all.

Out of habit, Sonic walked into the kitchen. Vanilla was already up, busy at the skillet. She turned when she heard him. "Ah, good morning, Sonic."

Sonic smiled in greeting. "Good morning, Vanilla. Busy as usual?"

"Oh yes." Vanilla smiled back. "Pancakes."

"I know. I can smell them."

"It's Cream's breakfast of choice," Vanilla skillfully flipped a perfectly browned pancake onto the plate where four were already stacked high. Sonic felt crippled by the sight of it, though last night he had not been very hungry. Today was different, it seemed.

"Mmmm, and by the smell…" Sonic sniffed, breathing it in deeply. It smelled like home, like comfort. "…chocolate chip pancakes."

Vanilla laughed. "Tempting, aren't they? I figured we all could use a little treat. You want to join us for breakfast?"

Sonic backed up a few steps, hands out in surrender. The one movable ear fled back against his head. The other was straighter now, but it still seemed lifeless. "My stomach says yes, but my injuries say no. They're…I mean I've never been hit this bad, Vanilla."

The mother rabbit gave a sad smile. "I understand. Well, I'll save you a few in case you change your mind! Maybe you should bandage up your wound."

Sonic nodded. "That's a good idea. Where do you keep your gauze?"

Vanilla pointed over to the first aid kit on the wall. "Over there."

"Thanks," Sonic retrieved the roll of gauze and laughed. "I think I'll be using all this up!"

Vanilla watched him unrolling the gauze. "Would you like some help with the bandaging?"

"Oh, yeah, thanks." Sonic sheepishly handed Vanilla the gauze. "I'm absolutely terrible at first aid. I've never had to do it to myself!"

"Hold this there," Vanilla directed him as she wrapped the gauze around his middle. "This is going to have to be pretty tight, so I guess you'll have to forego eating a whole lot."

"Ah, yeah, I've got to maintain a steady weight." Sonic chuckled. "There go my pancakes! Darn it!"

"Well, I'll tell you what. I'll give you just two pancakes. If you eat them slowly, you won't change a bit from how you are, and you'll feel fuller."

Sonic laughed in embarrassed amazement. "Wow! That's, um, wise, I guess."

Vanilla smiled. "There. Well, a mother has to know these things."

Sonic flushed. "That's kinda why I chose to go here instead of to Amy's."

"Hmmm? Why's that, dear?"

"Well…" Sonic laughed. "If Amy ever even suspected I was hungry, she'd give me a feast! And…I can't resist her cooking, even if I don't like her like that."

Vanilla laughed. "But you can resist mine?"

"Erm…that wasn't how I meant it. Sorry."

"It's okay. I understand." Vanilla looked up. "Oh, Cream's up."

"You hear her?"

"Yeah, she's in the bathroom."

"Ah."

There was a bit of silence. Sonic fingered the bandages over the huge wound covering his ribs down to his belly and sighed. He spoke only truth when he said he'd never been this hurt. His body was as durable as the best sheets of metal one could find! Yet…he felt so unbalanced now. So breakable. He sighed.

Cream entered the room, her brown eyes shining with childhood innocence. She wore a pretty black jumper with a light blue undershirt and dark blue with black spots rain boots. Her ears were complimented by twin blue bows. She took Sonic's hand in her own, feeling at the worn gloves. Then, she looked up at him with a sad little smile.

"I think you'd better get some fresh gloves," Vanilla suggested, serving Cream her pancakes at the table. Sonic's stomach rumbled as Cream went to eat them. He bit his tongue, to keep the pink muscle from emerging. "You'll feel much better if you replace those."

"Huh? Oh." Sonic looked at his ragged, torn gloves, one red with his own blood. He removed this one and threw it in the trash, examining the wounds on his hands. They had sewn themselves up by now, but there was still evidence there of how badly they'd been hurt. "Yeah, I guess I should." He nodded in gratitude as Vanilla set down his share of their small breakfast, and commenced eating it slowly. Cream kicked her legs against the chair, and all was quiet.

Sonic, not used to eating anything so slow, pushed around a cut up piece of pancake on his plate like a boat in a sea of syrup. Cream hummed a song no one knew the words to, and Sonic listened, now sinking the boat into darkness as he closed his mouth over it.

The phone rang. Vanilla picked it up.

"Hello, Rabbit Household. Yes…Yes, he's here, do you want…? Okay…Okay…Okay, yes, I'll tell him…Yes…Thank you…Good bye dearie!" Click! Sonic glanced up, curious. Cream began to play with her fod, as Sonic had, only she was talking to herself, playing the ship's captain.

"All aboard for the storm!" Cream shouted.

"What is it, Vanilla?" Sonic could not help the piece of pancake he lifted to his lips and devoured hungrily. He'd not had a decent meal since lunchtime yesterday, and he was starving now.

"That was Tails…" Vanilla spoke softly, worryingly.

"Arrgh! We're taking on water, Captain! Tasty water, first mate!" Cream cried, laughing.

"And?!" Sonic was always anxious for news from his twin-tailed buddy.

"The ship's sinking! We're all going to die!" Cream yelled, eating the piece of pancake with the violence of a child's pretend storm.

Vanilla sighed. "The Court wishes to see you."

Sonic stood swiftly. "Then I'll go at once." He said in all seriousness, his eyes dull and unfeeling.

"Go where, momma?" Cream asked, turning her butt in the chair to look at Sonic. But she went ignored.

"Not like that." Vanilla responded sternly, barring his way. "The Princess will hold you for contempt if you come in looking like that!"

"It's no formal court," Sonic explained in a soft, beaten voice. "Besides, I have a gut feeling the more evidence I possess…"

"Evidence of _what_?!" Cream protested, tugging on Sonic's arm.

"Cream, shush," Sonic dismissed lovingly.

Vanilla laid a motherly hand on his shoulder. "You don't know right out that's what it's all about, do you?" Sonic looked down, rubbing one arm with the other bashfully as she spoke. "It could be something else. You don't want to go in there looking like a poor man. The bandages are enough, and your wounds are 'evidence' enough to prove murder!" Sonic's head jumped up, and emerald eyes searched ones of chocolaty brown. He didn't know she was capable of such words.

_I, to tell the truth…_

"Go." Vanilla urged him. "Return to your house and get a fresh pair of gloves and socks. Polish your shoes. Then go down to meet the Princess and the others. Take hugs gently, your wounds are deep."

"Gentle hugs? From _my_ friends?" Sonic snorted, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, right!"

As if to disprove him, Vanilla hugged him. "Go." She said.

"Go where?" Cream asked persistently as Sonic was about to take off. "Can I come?"

Sonic had Cream out the door before Vanilla could even begin to say the word: "no."

…_I no longer know what to think of you._


	3. It All Comes Back to You

**It All Comes Back To You**

_Anyone know the song "Falling to Pieces" by Firewind?_

* * *

"Thank you for coming here on such short notice, Sonic." Princess Sally shuffled her papers in a business-like manner, pushing her crimson bangs out of her bright blue eyes.

"It's my pleasure, Princess," Sonic bowed slightly, and then straightened up again before he had a chance to fall. The muscles in his waist were incredibly weak. He was more clean-cut now; fur brushed, teeth brushed, gloves replaced, socks changed, shoes polished. But the bandages, and the overwhelming hurt in his eyes showed the small court there was still so much wrong.

Everyone but Sally looked distraught. And Sally was doing her best to hide it.

"No need to stand on formalities, Sonic. You know me better."

"Yes, Sally." Sonic nodded, stealing a glance at Tails. Cream was outside, picking flowers or chasing butterflies, or some other childish nonsense. At least, that's what Sonic would've liked to believe. He knew Cream was listening through the door, though she was forbidden from court on the grounds of her being far too young.

"Sonic? Sonic!"

Sonic snapped to attention. "What? I'm sorry." _Did I really zone out for a minute there?_

"It's quite all right. Now, would you care to relate to us what happened?"

Sonic felt dizzy at the mention of it. He hadn't eaten much, and his legs ached from standing. He longed to sit, to rest, because he hurt badly. He also hated to mention that he had lost—something Sonic the Hedgehog never did. But, alas, he was the center of attention. He sighed, trembling as he began. "Well, Eggman was attacking, as usual, so I went after him to stop him, like usual. The 'bot he had didn't look like anything special, a dragon-like thing with one long, snakelike head. Since the head seemed to be the command center—besides Eggman's cockpit—I went for the head, slicing it off at the neck with a Sonic Spin." He touched the base of his throat with two fingers, to illustrate the clean incision. "Instead of stopping short, though, the 'bot…" The hedgehog swallowed, closing his eyes. "The 'bot, it…it grew two heads. Thinking it a trick, I sliced them off again. But then four came back, and then six…until there were about fifty heads on the thing."

"And did you not theenk to attack anyplace else?" Antoine D'Coolette, a palace guard by birthright and strategist for the team, asked.

"After ten heads, I tried." Sonic responded. "I tried to attack at what would've been the shoulders—here--" he illustrated the 'bot with his hands in the air, "and here. But, I always wound up cutting into one of the heads that moved in my way. I got snapped out of the air and nearly pulled in two once. This is the strongest, strangest 'bot Eggman's ever made."

"Oh mah stars," Bunnie D'Coolette, half robot and newly married to Antoine, exclaimed. "Sugah hog, were you hurt?"

"Yes, that's a very good question, Bunnie. I'm curious myself as to how you were injured," Sally removed the eraser of her pencil from her mouth and jabbed it at the bandages around Sonic's waist.

"You've grown harsh, Sally-girl," Bunnie whispered.

"Yeah! Sonic doesn't have to show his injuries if he doesn't want to!" Amy protested.

"If he's had to wear bandages, we can deduce this is bad enough." Rotor pointed out.

"Please don't do this, Aunt Sally," Tails pleaded, reverting for a moment back to the name he'd given her when a small child.

Sonic smiled weakly at all of them, until Sally spoke. "Look, I don't want to do this…but this is as much for Doctor Quack's records as it is for mine. We must know what we're up against." Sally pushed her bangs out of her eyes again. "Sonic? If you please."

Sonic winced. "I—I'll need new ones after…"

"We have some gauze lying around." Sally responded. "Amy, go and fetch it."

Sonic shrugged. "All right…Anyone have scissors?"

Antoine produced a pair, and Sonic turned his back to the court. He could see light orange ears over the edge of the windowsill, and that gave him courage. Swallowing thickly, he felt for the loose end of the bandages, and snipped. The whole covering fell around his ankles. Sonic stepped out of the mess carelessly, and turned around with one last swallow to face the court, eyes closed for fear of what he might see.

His fear was well-founded. Amy, returning with the bandages, and Bunnie, in her seat next to Antoine, both had to drop what they were doing and run to the restroom to throw up in utter revulsion and horror with what they had seen. Tails had to pinch himself to keep from crying, and Rotor looked away shamefully. Antoine stared at his knuckles, and only Sally, not by courage but by birthright, kept her eyes on the injury.

Though it had healed somewhat, one could see the deep gashes and black and red and purple from the injuries inflicted there. Some strands of fur were still an ugly crimson color, and the common feeling was horror. One of the gashes ran so deep that the surface of Sonic's white rib could be seen under a thin layer of skin and fur.

"My gods," Sally's voice trembled, seeing one she cared for so in pain. Sonic opened his eyes, very weak all of a sudden. Was he bleeding?

There was a moment of silence. Sonic looked around to find Amy and Bunnie returning, their faces green. Bunnie hid in Antoine's shoulder, crying softly, and Amy went to work, measuring out gauze to bind his wound again. Sonic's temples pounded faintly, crying for retribution. He'd never wanted any of them to see this, but they were insistent. Maybe now, he would have more proof.

"All right," Sally spoke, her voice eerie in the silence. "That's that, then. Sonic, what was this beast called?"

"HYDRA." Sonic's stomach turned a somersault, and then later into a pretzel, at just the mention of that name.

"Hydra or HYDRA?" Sally wondered. "For record's sake."

"HYDRA. I believe it stands for something, but lords alone know it." Sonic responded softly, jumping as he felt soft gloved hands tracing gauze around his middle. "Thank you, Amy."

"It's not a problem, Sonic." The pink hedgehog's eyes were on the gauze, avoiding looking at the injury when she could. Her fingers worked almost without her doing to bandage him up.

"Mmm," Sonic responded, if only to keep a silence from forming. It worked. After a moment, Sally lifted her head off her hands.

"Well, we'll have to keep an eye out for it. Thank you for your services, Sonic, but we won't need you for this mission."

"_**What?!**_" Sonic shouted. Everyone was astonished at his reaction, in a royal court, where he could be held in contempt for such an action. Maybe even thrown in jail. "You're _retiring_ me?! You _can't _be serious." His emerald beauties flared, his anger all for Sally.

"Try to simmer down, Sugah hog," Bunnie attempted to soothe Sonic, but it was no use.

What little rage played with Sonic's heart was fully unleashed now.

"It won't be forever, just until this monster is defeated. I'll remind you that you are in royal court, and can be held in contempt for--"

"_**FUCK**_ the '_royal court_'!" Sonic shouted, nearly reopening an injury. "Sal, you _can't_ leave me out of this mission! If I couldn't defeat it--"

"—which is exactly why we have to leave you out of this mission." Sally reasonably pointed out.

Sonic's body heaved with anger. "Have you gone _**insane**_?! Sal, for who and all you are, you don't make a _grain_ of sense!"

"She'll hold you in contempt for sure, sugah. Please calm down." Bunnie tried again, but failed again, to soothe Sonic. Antoine squeezed her hand, letting her know that there was nothing she could do to help Sonic now.

If he was going to be held for contempt, so be it. Sonic needed to speak his mind.

"Explain." Sally folded her hands, resting her weight on her elbows.

Sonic growled, crossing his arms moodily over his chest. "All right, fine." He snorted. "Listen to me, Sally. If I'm allowed to fight it, chances are I'm the only one that will die. If you all fight it, more than one will die. I'm tellin you—cut our loses. Lemme fight it _alone_."

Tails bit his lips. "No."

Amy was right behind him. "No!" She stood, shaking him. "Sonic, you _can't_, you--!"

Sonic swiveled his head back towards Princess Sally. "What say you, fair lady Sal?" He smirked.

"Sonic, do you have a heart?" Sally demanded, standing. "There are two people who have voiced to you that you shouldn't do this—and there are thousands more who will never say a word. Four of them are here. Sonic, you can't be _selfish_ with a life no one wants you to loose!"

"Oh, so it's _this_ again, is it?!1 About me being _selfish_?!" Sonic stomped his foot. "Well, cute. _Real_ cute!"

"Dammit, Sonic! I have a better reason this time!" Sally snapped, shouting right back in his face. "You're in contempt of court, so I suggest you _stand down_ before I throw you in jail!"

Sonic swallowed his anger, and did indeed stand down. He looked at his feet.

"I repeat, Sonic the Hedgehog--"

"Sally, you'll regret this," Sonic told her.

"—you are hereby banned from the Freedom Fighters--"

"You're the last heir.2 The people need you. What if you die?"

"—until further notice." Sally finished at last. "Now, sign." She handed him a piece of paper and a pen.

Sonic took a deep breath…and reluctantly sighed. His mind was heavy.

It wasn't that he didn't want to live.

He just didn't want anybody to die.

1 The breakup between Sonic and Sally was in _Sonic the Hedgehog_ issue 134.

2 For the purpose of this story, only the breakup and Antoine and Bunnie's wedding is real by events. All families besides Cream's are nonexistent.


End file.
